Radical...

I am saddened when I hear of people suffering from all kinds of ailments headaches, migraines, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease and on and on.  It is sad to know people are hurting and suffering to varying degrees.  Modern medicine has clearly aided in lengthening the human life span and lessening many debilitating conditions.  

Ironically, at a time when we have the most access to great health care we also have more people than ever in world history who are sick in one form or another simply due to a lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits.  

If we get a headache we take a pill.  If we have high blood pressure we take a pill.  If we have high cholesterol we take a pill.  If we have heart disease we take a pill.  If we have diabetes we take insulin.  Etc, etc, etc. 

I am not advocating against medicine.  I am asking that we just stop and think for a minute about how radical it is to rely on pills to fix our health concerns.  Often we simply exchange one issue for another potentially negative one.  If you watch TV for 30 minutes or an hour, undoubtedly you will see commercial(s) selling a pill to cure a modern illness.  The people in the commercial are always beautiful, financially secure, appear healthy, and full of life, BUT then we hear the list of side effects.  Some commercials are even scarier describing a former pill that is no longer on the market because of the negative side effects.  

I don’t want to judge anyone who is suffering but to offer hope that is far too often taboo.  Our doctors just won’t communicate as firmly as I am about to.  Maybe the doctors don’t believe you can make the changes, maybe they are in too much of a hurry to see patients, maybe the pharmaceutical companies are to some degree too influential in the decisions and choices of our health care system.  

Think about how radical it is to have open heart surgery, or bariatric surgery, or take insulin every day, or fill our bodies with pills that we may come to find out have very serious negative consequences.  

What would happen if we began to exercise properly and develop a lifestyle of eating healthfully with a diet based on whole foods mainly sourced from plants?  How often do you meet someone who exercises regularly and eats healthfully who is ravaged with disease?   When we do meet people who exercise and eat healthfully, how often do they seem vibrant and full of energy?  I am not saying exercise and eating right is a formula that works 100% of the time.  It doesn’t, and people are quick to point out the exceptions, for example, the regular runner who dies of a heart attack.  But this is not the norm.  Exercise and eating healthfully does work really well the vast majority of the time.  Our bodies were designed for and have evolved to move and consume a diet rich in a diversity plants.  

Give exercise and healthy eating a try!!!  It has no negative side effects.  There will never be a commercial sharing the negative side effects of eating broccoli.  It will increase the chances of your living a long life and having one richer in quality as well!  

Recipe of the Week...Beer-Glazed Salmon with Roasted Mushrooms

Ingredients: 

• 2 pounds mixed mushrooms (such as shiitake, cremini or oyster), thickly sliced 
• 2 shallots, sliced 
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, divided 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided 
• 3/4 cup stout beer 
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless salmon fillets 

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  

In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, shallots and thyme sprigs. Drizzle with oil, season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper and toss to combine. Arrange mushrooms in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring 2 or 3 times, until nicely browned, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.  

Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, stir together beer, brown sugar and mustard and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture just starts to thicken, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set glaze aside. (Reserve all but 1/4 cup of the glaze for serving.)  

Pat fish dry and season with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place skin-side down in a large baking dish. Toss mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of the glaze and spoon them around fish. Brush fish with additional 2 tablespoons of the glaze. Roast until fish is just cooked through and flakes easily, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve each piece of fish with a generous portion of mushrooms and reserved glaze on the side.

Focus on These Five Proven Nutritional Habits - by Julian Hayes II

This was an excellent article we wanted to share.  It was written by Julian Hayes II in The Huffington Post...enjoy!

Do this. Do that. Actually, do this instead.

With health and fitness, we're always chasing the next "it thing." The "it thing" that quickens our fat loss while reducing our efforts needed.

To sum it up, we're always looking for the path of least resistance when it comes to our health.

However, people who chase diet trends after diet trends end up ultimately spinning their wheels, frustrated, and blaming external scenarios for their most recent of many dietary failures.

Nutrition doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, the simpler the model, the likelier your success.

No matter if you're a beginner or a seasoned fitness veteran who hasn't reached their desirable level of leanness -- master these five nutritional habits before attempting anything else.

1. Focus on food choices before anything else

To lose fat, you want to burn more energy than you take in (i.e. caloric deficit). With this in mind, the next step that the majority will do is perform a google search for "how many calories do I need to eat to lose fat?

Before calorie counting, manipulating macros or worrying about which particular diet to implement -- focus on your daily food selections. Keep it simple and focus on understanding what healthy food choices look like.

Without awareness and a basic knowledge base of what to eat, all eating strategies are useless.

Here's a secret: Making healthier food choices will kickstart your weight loss before any fancy dieting or exercising strategies (especially for those coming from a world of little to no activity).

2. Take a balanced approach with your macronutrients

We live in a world of extremes.

It's either low carbs, low fat, the no starch diet, the DNA diet or some random detox.

However, each macro serves a pivotal role with your fat loss and obtaining optimal health (internally and externally).

Think of carbohydrates as gasoline that helps fuel your body during workouts and energy (i.e. glucose) for your body to function on a daily basis.

Think of protein as your basic building block of life. Protein plays a key role in the development of your nails, skin, hair, and obvious ones such as muscle growth.

Your fats are beneficial due to their role in satiation and proper hormone optimization.

When thinking of your diet, think moderation and balance--that is what leads to lasting change. Extreme behaviors may work short term, but the weight, along with negative side effects comes back in the long run (often with extra weight).

3. Have a plan for what you're going to eat each day

Willpower is a finite resource that isn't to be trusted in the long term due to its depleting energy reserves.

Every day, we make thousands of decisions. Each decision we make requires energy.

As we make more and more decisions each day, we start to become more susceptible to making decisions that go against what we intentionally didn't want to do.

Why is that?

Because of a little thing called decision fatigue. You start the day at 100%, but deciding on countless minutiae throughout the day such as what to wear--depletes your willpower.

To avoid decision fatigue, it's imperative you automate as much of your habits as possible. Have a plan each day for how you're going to eat, therefore, your current emotional state nor surroundings won't sabotage your fitness goals.

Will you be at work a little longer than expected? If so, prepare an extra meal or know what will be available to eat at that time.

With preparation, success is a guarantee. With preparation plus automating your smaller habits, you'll have plenty of energy in the willpower tank when big decisions arise.

4. Eat & experiment until you find a method that satisfies your palate and complements your physique goals

There isn't one diet or template that is superior to another. The perfect diet is the one that fits your personality, goals, and lifestyle.

The only way to obtain the perfect diet is to experiment and test until you find the perfect concoction that blends flawlessly with your goals.

Your diet should almost feel effortless with little to no resistances about your particular style of eating.

Meshing your lifestyle with your fitness goals increases the chances of your new healthy habits sticking. You can trick and force yourself into doing tasks for only so long until you start to resent your newly adopted lifestyle.

5. Keep the big picture in mind

Life happens. The unexpected often occurs, no matter how much preparation we do in order to avoid it. When the unexpected occurs, we often make poor decisions and slip up on our diets.

We're not perfect, nor are we expected to be or will we ever become.

Perfection is a fantasy and expecting to achieve perfection is a sure fire way to set yourself up for disappointment.

Mishaps and temporary lapses off your diets won't come close to ruining all your progress. Fitness doesn't ruin itself in instantaneous moments.

Keep the big picture in mind and realize that your fitness lifestyle is for the long term.

If you hypothetically eat 4 times a day. That's 28 meals a week and if you had 3 out of those 28 that were less than ideal. Your compliance to your goal is still 90% and that's going to deliver the results you want.

At the end of the day, it's not worth it to live within a diet that simultaneously imprisons you along the way.

Recipe of the Week...Breakfast Banana Splits

Ingredients: 

• 1 large Whole Trade banana, peeled and halved crosswise 
• 1 (5.3-ounce) 365 Everyday Value Strawberry or Blueberry & Pomegranate Nonfat Greek Yogurt 
• 1/2 cup your favorite breakfast cereal 
• 1/4 cup 365 Everyday Value Berry Bounty or Back country Bundle Trail Mix 

Method: 

Cut banana halves lengthwise to open them like books and arrange each in a small bowl. Top with dollops of yogurt and drizzle with its fruit sauce. Scatter cereal and trail mix over the top and serve.

The Question...To Crossfit or not to Crossfit?

I am often asked what I think about Crossfit.  The Crossfit craze has certainly swept our country by storm and is moving across the world.  With ESPN coverage of the Crossfit games and a Reebok sponsorship it has developed the strongest brand in the fitness industry.  I love Crossfit.  I think it is so cool.  It started as a garage gym and the same garage gym feel still exists in its “boxes”.  Crossfit develops a community for those who truly want to push themselves with others.  It is challenging, competitive, extreme and fun.  But, you must understand the “why” behind your motivation to exercise.  

It would be unfair to characterize all Crossfit gyms in this manner but here are some of the pitfalls one should be aware of before joining a Crossfit box.  Crossfit takes movements that are safe and functional and makes them extreme, turning safe movements into a high performance sport and / or competition. If you read the Crossfit website it is clear that one should and can adjust the scale of the WOD (Workout of the Day) making it more intense or less intense.   Let’s say you show up at a Crossfit box and the WOD of the day is 21,15,9 of Deadlift, Burpees and Pull Ups for time.  The deadlift weight for males is posted as 225 and for females 155.  Is this safe for you?

The deadlift, burpee and pull up are great exercises.  They are very functional movements.  However, there are several factors to consider.  Is your conditioning level at a point that it would be safe for you to deadlift?  Can you deadlift with correct technique?  Do you have any contraindications to exercise that would make the deadlift unsafe for you?  Maybe you are fit to deadlift and have good technique but is 225 the right weight for you?  Is doing 21 reps of deadlift wise?  Are you able to do burpees?  Can you do a pull up, much less 21 or a total of 45 for the 3 rounds?  And this workout is set for time which means you must complete this as fast as you can.  What happens to your technique as you push yourself to finish as fast as you can?  What happens when the group is pushing through and you feel a pain that concerns you?  Do you keep pushing because of the peer pressure of the group and possibly get hurt?  If all the men in your group are going with the 225 on deadlift or even scaling up to more weight and you know you should do less, do you scale down or give it a try and possibly get hurt? You can see the potential problems.  Can one become a Crossfitter?  Yes.  Should everyone become a Crossfitter?  Probably not.  

Too much volume and overtraining cause injuries.  Twenty-one reps is too many for most people.  Reps between 5-12 is much more safe, but it also depends on the type of exercise.  Rhabdomyolysis, although very rare, can kill you and occurs typically after performing very high volume of repetitions and pushing oneself to an extreme.  How will you know what is safe for you?  How old are you?  One’s age is a real factor.  Crossfit can be done at any age but without proper technique and scaling, it is an injury waiting to happen. 

If you are young and very fit and want to see how hard you can push yourself in a variety of weightlifting, powerlifting, cardio, sprints, plyometric and gymnastic movements and enjoy doing this in a community / team atmosphere, by all means jump in and find a box.  If you don’t fit this description it doesn’t mean Crossfit can’t be for you, but you better be very thoughtful about what you are doing and the quality of coaches at the box you decide to join.

As we age I would encourage you to see exercise as a means to maintain or improve one’s quality of life.  You don’t have to be able to complete 21,15,9 of Thrusters and Pull Ups in less than 3 minutes to be healthy and fit.  The goal should be about building a functional body that will stand the test of time, allow you to continue doing the activities you enjoy and allow you to try new ones.  The goal should be about developing proper cardiovascular health.  The goal should be about learning and developing healthy eating habits as a lifestyle.  

As we age and if we have been relatively sedentary it makes more sense, for at least a period of time, to use a personal trainer who can develop an exercise prescription specific to your true health needs and functional weaknesses. Someone who can provide accountability, encouragement and training that is safe and effective specifically for you.   

Recipe of the Week...Grilled Tuna Steak with Fresh Herb and Peanut Salad

Ingredients: 

• 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice 
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot 
• 1 teaspoon honey 
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, divided 
• 3/4 pound Wild-Caught Yellowfin Tuna Steak, thawed if frozen 
• 2/3 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves 
• 2/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, sliced 
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced 
• 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped 

Method: 

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat cooking. In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, shallot, honey and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside.  

Sprinkle tuna with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Grill tuna, flipping once, until browned on the outside but still deeply pink in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board.  

Add mint, basil, parsley and green onions to the bowl with lime dressing and toss. Divide between 4 plates and sprinkle evenly with peanuts. Thinly slice tuna and fan slices over salad.

Are you Stuck???

Do you exercise regularly but don’t get the results you are looking for?  Are you inconsistent with your exercise habits and therefore don’t achieve the health related results you are seeking?  Were you active as a younger person, but the busyness of life has slowly stolen your health?  Maybe you are the person whose life experiences with sports, movement and exercise have been negative so you avoid it, but you know you need it?  You have a child that is struggling and needs a safe and positive environment to begin the habits of exercise?

There are a lot of ways that people find that they are stuck. 

At Forte Fitness we have served so many people that fit into one of the narratives above.  If you find yourself there or someone you care for fits one of these descriptions, we would be honored to have you or them in for a complimentary session to share with you how we can help.  It is what we do! 

If you are exercising regularly but are not getting results we can help pinpoint the reason or reasons.  It could be you are doing the same exercises the same way over and over, and your body has simply adapted and you don’t know how to get out of your rut.  We can analyze your workouts and nutrition and develop a plan that will work! 

If you are inconsistent we can provide the accountability you need.  At Forte we don’t sell memberships and draft accounts and then hope nobody shows up.  We build relationships with our clients and are with you the whole way!

There are 168 hours in a week.  We can help you set two appointments a week.  Two hours!  You will still have 166 left.  We will take those two hours a week and make a difference in your health and how functional your body is.  No matter how busy you are at some point you have to make your health your priority.  Often people don’t make their health a priority in the busyness of life because they are caring for everyone else.  But, you have to keep your tank full to keep caring for your loved ones, and they don’t want to see your health suffer.  Give us a try!

At Forte we provide a safe place, privacy so that you can be comfortable.  There are no crowds, no one to stare at you, and no waiting on equipment – just you and your trainer who is 100% focused on your success!

Many children struggle during recess and PE.  It is not their natural playing field and in a time where children are more sedentary than ever with so much screen time, personal training can make a big difference for a child.  Our trainers have hearts for children and can help your child begin to enjoy his or her body that is designed to move.  They can begin to develop some confidence in their own skin.  They can begin to develop habits that deliver a lifetime of health! 

Are you stuck?

If you are or someone you care for is … then check out our website … check out our success stories and if you are curious just email or call us.  We would be honored to have you in simply to explore whether or not Forte is the right fit.  We offer a complimentary session which includes a tour of the studio, a medical screening, a goal setting consultation, and a full training session.  At the end of your session we will let you know what a good plan would be.  All you have to do is decide if Forte is the right fit for you. 

Recipe of the Week...Turkey Nachos with Pickled Jalapeños and Pinto Beans

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 pound ground turkey breast 
• 1 (1.4-ounce) package taco seasoning 
• 1/2 cup beer 
• 12 ounces tortilla chips 
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped 
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced 
• 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño pepper slices, chopped 
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 
• 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese or mozzarella 
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook, until just browned and no longer pink, stirring to crumble turkey into pieces. Add taco seasoning and stir to coat turkey with spices. Add beer and reduce the heat to simmer until the liquid has been mostly absorbed; remove from heat and set aside to cool briefly.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and scatter tortilla chips in an even layer. Combine tomatoes, green onions and jalapeños in a small bowl. Using a spoon, top chips with turkey, beans and the tomato mixture. Top with cheese and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until cheese is melted. Top with cilantro and serve immediately.

Recipe of the Week...Almond Brown Rice Pudding

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup pitted dates 
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice 
• 4 cups unsweetened vanilla almondmilk 
• 1/2 cup raisins 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup toasted, chopped slivered almonds 

Method: 

Place dates in a bowl and pour 1/2 cup boiling water over them. Let soak 15 minutes, then transfer dates and water to a blender and puree until smooth to make a date syrup. Meanwhile, bring rice and almondmilk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rice is cooked and has absorbed most of the almondmilk, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Stir date syrup, raisins, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon and almonds into rice and serve warm.

An Argument Against Supplements

I am not telling you not to take supplements.  I am not a doctor.  It is possible that one may have a vitamin or mineral deficiency, and a supplement could be helpful ie. iron.  However, I am asking you to think about it and consider something more important.

What does the word supplement even mean?  It has to do with adding to, in addition to one's normal dietary intake.  Supplements of vitamins and minerals are a multi-billion dollar industry and are not the panacea of good health.  Many cause health problems.  Vitamin and mineral supplements are extracted or even synthetically produced.  Our bodies were not designed and have not evolved to consume extracted vitamins and minerals, much less those that are synthetically manufactured.  

Our bodies were designed to consume vitamins and minerals not in isolation but in a mysterious integration in food.  Science is only beginning to scratch the surface in terms of understanding how a food and the integration of all the nutrient components work.  But, we do know this: regular exercise + eating a diet full of whole foods vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, seeds and whole grains does produce health and wellness in human beings.  

Before spending your money on supplements, or falling for the claims of supplements and constantly changing media reports, think about what is truly the best medicine.  It is moving one's body in all ranges of movement and getting one's heart rate up.  It is eating whole foods, mainly vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, seeds, whole grains and occasionally animal products and dairy.  We know this works.  In Dan Buettner's study of the "blue zones" which are areas where the populace has the highest rates of centenarians in the world, the key has not been supplements.  It has been regular exercise typically common to the moving required in caring for a garden and house work + eating whole foods.  It is not the same whole foods or percentages of proteins, carbohydrates, fats or calorie counting in these blue zones, but it is simply eating whole foods in the diversity that is available in their geographic area and how that culture develops recipes around those whole foods. 

It takes time.  It takes planning.  You must be intentional.  It takes discipline to eat a diet of whole foods in a society filled with refined and processed foods and the same goes for exercise - BUT - the best medicine and the best supplement is exercise + whole foods.  Begin making it your lifestyle at some level that you know you can be successful with and build from there.